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Michelle Yeoh Shines in 'The Surgeon' as Action-Comedy Hits TIFF
Confirmed
In Short: Michelle Yeoh delivers a standout performance in 'The Surgeon,' a genre-bending action-comedy that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Yeoh’s martial arts skills are put to the test in the film, as she uses them to outmaneuver her captors in delightfully paralyzing ways. Her performance is not only action-packed but also believable and authentic, as she underwent extensive training to ensure the surgical movements were as realistic as possible. She even observed a pig dissection at the Royal College of Surgeons, much to the surprise of the medical students present.
The film’s greatest asset is Yeoh’s character, Eliza Lim, who is a complex and fully realized individual. Sethi’s screenplay is clever, but it is Yeoh’s performance that elevates the film. Her character’s wit and determination are on full display, particularly in a scene where she tells one of her captors, "You’ll never shoot a gun again," after performing a surgical maneuver that leaves him incapacitated.
While the other characters are mostly stereotypes, Yeoh’s performance is the highlight of the film. Her martial arts skills and surgical expertise are seamlessly integrated, creating a unique and entertaining experience for viewers. The film is a tailor-made vehicle for Yeoh fans, who will undoubtedly appreciate her action chops and surgical precision.
The Surgeon is not a character study, but it is clear who the character is from the outset. Yeoh’s training was extensive, involving not only martial arts but also surgical techniques. Her dedication to authenticity is evident in the film, where she not only has the action chops but also the surgical expertise to make the scenes believable. The film’s blend of action and comedy makes it a fun watch, though it may not be suitable for those with a weak stomach.
What's confirmed
- Yeoh’s martial arts skills are put to the test in the film, as she uses them to outmaneuver her captors in delightfully paralyzing ways. Her performance is not only action-packed but also believable and authentic, as she underwent extensive training to ensure the surgical movements were as realistic as possible. She even observed a pig dissection at the Royal College of Surgeons, much to the surprise of the medical students present.
- The film’s greatest asset is Yeoh’s character, Eliza Lim, who is a complex and fully realized individual. Sethi’s screenplay is clever, but it is Yeoh’s performance that elevates the film. Her character’s wit and determination are on full display, particularly in a scene where she tells one of her captors, "You’ll never shoot a gun again," after performing a surgical maneuver that leaves him incapacitated.
- While the other characters are mostly stereotypes, Yeoh’s performance is the highlight of the film. Her martial arts skills and surgical expertise are seamlessly integrated, creating a unique and entertaining experience for viewers. The film is a tailor-made vehicle for Yeoh fans, who will undoubtedly appreciate her action chops and surgical precision.
- The Surgeon is not a character study, but it is clear who the character is from the outset. Yeoh’s training was extensive, involving not only martial arts but also surgical techniques. Her dedication to authenticity is evident in the film, where she not only has the action chops but also the surgical expertise to make the scenes believable. The film’s blend of action and comedy makes it a fun watch, though it may not be suitable for those with a weak stomach.
What's still developing
- Although Freeman creates a fairly dimensional character while the other baddies are strictly stereotypes, it is Yeoh that makes this enterprise worth watching.
- There can be no doubt this film, which had its world premiere tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a tailor made vehicle guaranteed to turn up the temperature for Yeoh fans everywhere all at once.
- Yeoh, of course, started out in martial arts films, but that is not the kind of action displayed here.
- TIFF 2026: “It was really important for me, so that when I did the movements and all that, it looked real,” the actress tells TheWrap For her role as a kidnapped surgeon forced to perform one last operation in the action thriller “The Surgeon,” Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh took her training to the next level by learning how to actually perform surgery.
- “She ran Michelle through everything, like how to scrub in, how to operate, how to do the knots, everything,” Sethi told Jada Yuan at TheWrap’s studio at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
- “My brother sent some very funny short films where I had asked him to cut toast like a surgeon, just so everything felt like a surgeon,” Sethi said.
- “They were so confused as to why Michelle was at the pig dissection for the day.” Sethi’s brother, a doctor himself, chipped in as well to help Yeoh with her training.
- We’ve already seen that Adam is a smooth operator in that regard.